Home At Last
by bookdiva
Summary: Series of one-shots about Kensi coming home! Ch1: Deeks sees Kensi at work. But is that the first time he's seen her? Hmmm… Ch2: Deeks was taken hostage, but he's okay now… how does Kensi respond. Ch3: Deeks's birthday. Ch4-5: Max gets hit on, Kensi gets Jealous. Ch6: Kensi comes home… with a surprise! Read and review, please!
1. First Time

_**AN: So, this just came to me! They're a little OOC, but this is fan fiction, so I'm just going to go with it! If you have more ideas for this series of one-shots about how Kensi comes home, please let me know! I will write and update as I get prompts. It's only marked as complete because each chapter stands alone. :D**_

_**Blessings,**_

_**bookdiva**_

* * *

"Oh, _please_, G," Sam said as he walked into work with his partner. "Not _this_ again!"

"I'm just saying—"

"You're just being _annoying_ is more like it," Sam cut him off. By this point, the partners had reached the bull pen. "You just can't let it go that…" he trailed off at the sight in front of him, and stopped in his tracks.

"No, _you_ just can't—what the hell?" Callen, who wasn't paying attention, almost ran into his partner. "Why'd you—"

"G," Sam cut him off, motioning him to shut up. Callen gave him a confused look, but quieted nonetheless. Sam jerked his head towards the bull pen. It seemed to take Callen a moment to understand what had caused Sam to stop in his tracks.

Sitting in his desk, grinning down at his paperwork, was Deeks. It wasn't unusual for the Detective to be there before them. In fact, since Kensi's reassignment, it had become the norm for them to find Deeks already hard at work by the time they made it in. But today, something was different. He still had the same dark circles under his eyes, but this time, his whole countenance was slightly brighter, and he was humming to himself.

Once Callen noticed the change in the Detective, he too cocked his head to the side in confusion. The partners exchanged suspicious, wary glances before walking to their desks.

"Hey Deeks," Callen spoke up first, cautiously. Deeks looked up from his paperwork and positively beamed at him.

"Oh, hey Callen! Sam!" He sounded like an overly excited kid on Christmas morning. It was downright strange.

"Good morning, Deeks," Sam said cautiously, wary of Deeks sudden change in mood. His greeting came out more as a question.

"It _is_, isn't it?" the Detective replied, leaning back in his chair. He sent his teammates one more blinding grin, then turned back to his paperwork. All Sam and Callen could do was stare, slightly open-mouthed, at the blonde detective.

"Okay," Sam finally said, unable to stand the strange sight before him. "What's going on?"

"Hmm?" Deeks asked, still grinning. He didn't look up from his paperwork.

"Was there killer swells?" Sam continued. Deeks cocked his head at Sam's lame attempt at surfer language.

"Did they come out with some new, fancy model train set?" Callen asked, joining in Sam's questioning.

"Or did they finally let you and Monty get matching haircuts? Oh wait, you already have those, so it can't be that…" Sam smiled across the bull pen at Deeks.

"You guys are so _cute_, did you know that?" Deeks responded, trying to look serious but failing miserably. He couldn't seem to wipe the grin off his face.

"You know… this reminds me of another time we found you here early…" G said, narrowing his eyes teasingly at Deeks, clearly baiting him. For once, Deeks didn't raise to the bait.

"That would be almost every morning so far this year, Callen," Deeks said with another genuine smile. "You'd have to be more specific."

But Callen wouldn't mention that day, and Deeks knew it. Callen just grunted, not really acknowledging Deeks's small victory.

"What's on the agenda for today?" Sam asked, shaking his head at his defeated partner.

"Hetty says we're on catch up duty today," Deeks said, sounding much too happy about paperwork. Sam's brow furrowed in confusion. "Paperwork," Deeks translated.

"And that's… something to be excited about?" he asked the detective hesitantly. Ever since the torture, Deeks had been reluctant to sit in one place for long, and Sam had noticed.

"It's a great morning, Sam," Deeks said with a shrug and a smile, a real one that Sam hadn't seen in a really long time.

"Okaaaay…?" Sam managed, clearly still confused. He wanted to say more, but he wasn't sure what he could say.

"Besides," Deeks continued with yet another grin, "that means we should get out of here fairly early!"

Again, Sam wasn't sure what to say.

_Who is this and what has he done with Deeks?_ Sam wondered. Deeks had been literally working through Kensi's absence—literally, he'd show up early and leave way late.

He didn't have to wonder what to say for long, though, because suddenly the Detective's head snapped up and he grinned. If he'd been beaming before, Sam didn't know how to describe the look on his face now.

"What—" Sam began, but he was cut off by Deeks's voice.

"Hey, partner. How was the debrief?"

_No way,_ Sam thought, but he slowly turned around. Sure enough, Kensi was standing there. At the same moment, Callen looked up from his desk and saw her.

"It was good," she answered with a beaming smile. "Long as hell, but good."

She was simply… glowing. Just like her partner. For a long moment, both Sam and Callen were too stunned to move. Then, slowly, Callen overcame his surprise.

"Kensi?" he asked disbelievingly, as if he couldn't believe that she was really standing there. She just laughed.

"Hey guys."

This seemed to be the final push that the guys needed, and both Sam and Callen moved forward to embrace her.

"Glad you're back, Kens," Callen said, pulling back. Sam stepped in to take his place. She just nodded, not looking at either of them.

"I'm glad to be back," she said, staring across the room at her partner. He grinned back at her, but didn't make any move to get up and hug her.

_Wait a second… _Sam thought, realization dawning.

"When'd you get in?" he asked suspiciously.

"Yesterday evening," she answered casually.

"And you didn't come see us?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Couldn't," she said, shaking her head. "I was busy."

"_Busy_?" Callen repeated with the same incredulous tone in his voice. "What could possibly be more important than coming to see your teammates? Back me up here, Deeks!" He turned back to find the Detective grinning at his partner.

"I'm sure whatever she had to do was _really_ important," he said, his grin widening. Sam and Callen couldn't help but wonder how that was even possible at that point.

Callen figured it out first.

"Oh. My. _God_." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "_No_. Just _no_."

"What?" Kensi asked, finally tearing her eyes away from Deeks to look at Callen, then at Sam.

"You two…" Callen tilted his head back and groaned, gesturing between Kensi and Deeks. "Please tell me—"

"I was with _Max_," Kensi said, narrowing her eyes. "My _boyfriend_."

At these words, the smile she couldn't seem to stop smiling spread across her face again. She looked over at her partner, unable to keep her eyes off him for very long.

"What were you up to last night, Deeks?" Sam asked, catching on to Callen's train of thought. He continued before the Detective could answer, "You saw her last night, didn't you?"

"Sorry guys," Deeks said, shaking his head and laughing. "I was with my _girlfriend_, _Fern_, last night."

* * *

_**Review and send me some suggestions!**_


	2. I'm Fine

_**AN: This one is from me, too! Thank you for some great ideas! I'll get to working on them soon!**_

**_Chapter 2: Kensi finds out Deeks was taken hostage. Again. Some reunion, huh?_**

**_As always, keep the reviews coming, and keep the great ideas flowing! _**

**_Blessings,_**

**_bookdiva_**

* * *

"I'm _fine_," Deeks said for what felt like the hundredth time. He'd been taken hostage at a bank earlier that morning, when he'd been stoping by to take care of some personal business. He reached his good hand into his pocket and fingered the velvet box that was still there. He'd been without Kensi for three months now—no letters or Skype… nothing but that one, minute-and-a-half phone call—and he knew that when she got back, he never wanted to be apart from her again. Sure, he knew proposing was probably a long way off—he'd promised her he'd be patient, after all—but when he'd seen the simple, princess-cut ring in the window, it had just seemed… right.

Luckily for him, he'd been able to send the agent in distress code from his phone, and Sam and Callen had shown up. He'd worked from the inside, talking the man down, and Sam and Callen had worked from the outside. They'd made it through with no casualties—civilian, cop, or agent.

"Serious guys," Deeks continued at his teammates' unconvinced looks. "I'm _fine_."

"You know we know what _'fine'_ means, right?" Sam asked rhetorically. He gestured to Deeks's arm, which was in a sling. Deeks tried to smile, but his face was so cut up that it was too painful to manage a smile for long.

"Okay," Deeks said, walking into the mission building, "I'm not _fine_. Being taken hostage really isn't my idea of a fun time, but—"

"You were _what_?!" a shocked, angry—yet strangely, comfortingly familiar—voice screeched from over by the desks. All three men stopped dead in their tracks at the sound. Deeks was slightly aware of Sam and Callen's gasps of shock, but he couldn't bring himself to move.

Because standing there twenty feet in front of him, eyes dancing in so many emotions—surprise, joy, anger, exhaustion, relief—was Kensi Marie Blye. His partner. His Fern. His girlfriend. His… _everything_.

"Wha—?" was the only thing he was able to get out before his Kensi burst out in anger.

"Do you have a damn death wish?" she asked, coming around the front of her desk, gesturing wildly. "What was so important for you to go in _alone_. I mean, really alone. Without me? What the hell were you thinking, getting taken hostage? _Again_! Don't your promises mean _anything_?!" She finally stopped, breathing hard and glaring at him.

Deeks just smiled, taking a step toward her. He saw her anger for what it really was—she cared. So much that it scared her.

"Anyone ever told you how cute you are when you're homicidally angry?" he asked with an impish smirk.

Instead of the laugh he expected, she choked out a sob and ran the rest of the distance between them, flinging herself into his arms. He caught her with practiced ease, pulling her as close as he possibly could. He ignored the twinge of pain the action caused.

"Hey, hey, princess, it's okay. It's okay, Fern. I'm f—I'm okay. I'm here," he whispered over and over in her ear. She just shook her head, pulling back to stare into his eyes.

He winced as the motion moved his injured shoulder. She looked up at him questioningly.

"Just a graze," he said, answering her unspoken question. "Apparently, I should just never visit a bank on my day off."

She looked like she wanted to strangle him and kiss him at the same time, but instead, she just pulled him close again, shutting her eyes and clinging onto him as if he could disappear at any second.

"Hey, Kens," Callen said, finally snapping out of his shock-induced silence.

Kensi immediately pulled away from Deeks. For a moment, Deeks was confused at the steely look in her eyes.

_Uh-oh,_ he thought,_ what'd I do now?_

But then he realized that, for the first time since he'd entered the building, she wasn't looking at him. Her glare was focused on Sam and Callen.

"I could have sworn," she said menacingly to the two senior agents, "that I told you two to look out for him."

"We did!" Sam exclaimed. "It was our day off, too! We weren't even running an op! Deeks just happened to be in the bank when some idiot tried to rob it!" Sam looked like he could tell Kensi didn't believe him, or maybe she just didn't care. Either way, he glanced towards Deeks, "Back me up here, Deeks!"

She moved to step toward the slightly terrified men, but her partner's strong arm around her waist stopped her.

"Easy there, Fern, don't bite. Sam's telling the truth. They did help," Deeks said, a genuine grin stretching across his face. "I mean, sure, I did all the heavy lifting, but I couldn't have done it without all the little people."

Sam and Callen just rolled their eyes. Kensi looked over at her partner, a half-frustrated-half-elated smile spreading across her face. She punched him lightly on his good shoulder.

"Ow! What was that f—" he exclaimed. Kensi cut him off, pulling his face down to hers and kissing him gently, so as not to hurt him.

His jaw ached, his face stung from all the cuts, and his shoulder was shouting curse words at him, but he couldn't've cared less. Kensi Marie Blye was kissing him in the middle of the office like there was no tomorrow. So he figured the least he could do was to kiss her back.


	3. Happy Birthday

_**AN: I'm working on another chapter (which is really long, btw) on a prompt from justareader07, but it's Deeks's birthday, so this had to be written. Enjoy!**_

_**Blessings,**_

_**bookdiva**_

* * *

Another day, another bad guy behind bars, another night with Monty and a beer. Deeks walked into his apartment, stopping by the door to drop his keys and grab Monty's leash.

His calendar hung on the wall between the kitchen, still opened to November. After Kensi had been ripped away from him, it seemed as if time had stopped moving. Sure, he still got up. He ran, surfed sometimes, went to work, and carried on in the most professional manner he'd ever done in his life.

He knew that Christmas had come and gone—it was hard to miss even the minimal fanfare of the OSP office—but as far as Deeks was concerned, until Kensi came back, it was November, because his whole life was on hold until she returned.

He knew, in reality, it was January. Sam had invited him over for New Years, so he knew it was 2014, but by that point, he'd already lost track.

_It's better this way,_ he thought as he brought Monty back in. _Just keep going… existing… moving…_

He grabbed a beer and plopped down on the couch. Monty immediately jumped up and snuggled against his legs. Deeks smiled down at his mutt and scratched his ears.

"Let's see what we can find to watch, huh Monty?" Deeks said aloud. He turned the TV on and began channel surfing.

_Top Model, no,_ he thought, immediately switching the channel. _Project Runway, no. Titanic… does the universe hate me? _

After another ten minutes of flipping through channels, he settled on a survivalist documentary. It was perfect, because he never watched them with Kensi. She always nitpicked them to within an inch of their lives.

He settled in and set his SAT phone on his lap, where he could see it and feel it. It was his same routine every night since Christmas, but the phone hadn't made a sound since that night at the OSP offices.

About ten minutes into the documentary, Deeks turned to Monty.

"Ya know, Monty," Deeks said in a serious tone, "sucking venom out of a snake bite wound is not something you should ever do. Unless you're bad-ass Blye, of course. Apparently, you're just supposed to get to the hospital, ASAP! Though where you're supposed to find a hospital in the middle of nowhere…"

Monty just looked at him like he was losing his mind.

"Yeah," Deeks continued at his dog's look, "I'm probably going crazy. Now shut up and listen to this guy give stupid advice."

Two hours later, the marathon of Man vs. Wild was still going strong, and Deeks had managed to zone out. It was almost midnight, but as usual, Deeks didn't feel like sleeping. Sleep had become a chore again—not quite as bad as before, but still not normal. At least now he knew that he needed to get enough sleep to function.

_I'm still waiting on you, Kens,_ he thought as he stood up. He turned off the TV and was about to head to bed when a startling, barely-familiar sound blasted throughout the apartment. He lunged for the SAT phone, knocking some b=magazines and an empty coffee cup off the table.

"Hey, Fern," he answered as casually as he could. "How's life in the classified lane?"

She laughed, but she sounded out of breath. "It's good," she said.

"Good?" he cut her off before she could continue, surprised that she actually sounded happy. "So that's… good, then?"

She laughed again. "Wow, I see your communication skills have improved _soooo_ much."

He smirked. "Yeah, well what can I say? I'm much better at _non-verbal communication_, as you well know."

"Yes you are."

"Woah," Deeks said, his eyes widening in surprise. "Okay, that just… happened. Right, why are you agreeing with me? It's kinda… freaking me out."

"I didn't forget," she said. Her answer made no sense to Deeks.

_Didn't forget what? _he wondered.

"Okay, you didn't forget… what, exactly?"

"You've got to be kidding me," she said, sounding exasperated. He was silent as he tried to think of what she could be talking about. "Oh, my god, you're serious!"

She laughed again. He was still confused, but he smiled at her laugh.

"Serious as a heart attack, Kensalina," he answered with a smile. "Now, what am I forgetting?"

"Wow," Kensi whispered. "You know, for a Detective, you're not being very astute right now."

He just laughed. "Well excuse me. We had a tough case today, and it's late. I'm not at the top of my game. You should call me again tomorrow, and maybe then I'll remember."

"I can call you tomorrow," she said slowly. There was a knock at the door, and Deeks looked to his door questioningly. "But there's something I'd much rather spend the day doing."

"You mean there's something more fun to do on that classified continent of yours than talk to me?"

She laughed, and there was another knock on his door.

"Ugh, seriously, just go away," he muttered.

"What?" Kensi asked.

"Oh, not you," he hurried to reassure her. "It's just, Monty got into it with the neighbor's cat again, and now he's pounding on my door. I swear that thing is the devil's spawn." Kensi laughed. "Anywho, the cat was fine—Monty just wanted to play—but I left a note." Then he muttered, "But he just can't wait for a respectable time."

Kensi laughed again, and another knock sounded from the door.

"You'd better go open your door, or _someone_ might just pick the lock," she said, sounding amused and still rather antsy.

"That's ridiculous," Deeks said, but he walked over to the door anyway. "The only person I know who'd ever do that is…" he trailed off as he opened the door and saw his partner standing there, SAT phone held to her ear. "…you."

"Me," Kensi agreed with a smile. They stared at each other for ten seconds before Kensi launched herself at him. He caught her, stumbling back into his apartment and shutting the door behind him.

"You—you're really here?" he choked out, still holding her close.

"Of course I am," she replied. She pulled back and looked him in the eyes. "I'm so sorry I couldn't call again, but I was just so damn determined that I wasn't going to miss it this year."

He nodded, still smiling and holding her. "Miss what, exactly?"

She shook her head, stood on her tip toes, and kissed him. It didn't take him long to respond.

"Happy Birthday, Deeks," she said, pulling back.

"Happy… what? It's…? Oh," he seemed to realize, and he nodded his head. She laughed again.

"I can't believe you forgot your own birthday, Max," she said, running her fingers through his unruly blonde curls. "You gave me so much crap last year…"

"I don't care anymore, Fern," he said, capturing her lips with his. She smiled and returned the kiss.

"I'm sorry I didn't have any time to shop for something special," she mumbled against his lips a few minutes later.

He just shook his head. "You're _here_," he said, kissing her again. "Best birthday I ever forgot."

* * *

_**So Happy Birthday Deeks! Enjoy and REVIEW!**_


	4. Jealousy Part 1

_**AN: Another chapter! This one was suggested by justareader07! **_

_**Deeks is undercover as Max when Kensi gets back. She observes in OPS. Meanwhile, 'Max' keeps getting hit on, even after the op is over. **_

_**As always, read and review!**_

* * *

**Deeks's POV**

_You're good at this,_ Deeks told himself as he sat in the VIP section of some bar/strip club or other. _You used to do this all the time. It's not real, it's a job. You. Can. Do. This. _

Even a year ago, spending a night undercover with nameless women wasn't all that hard.

_Things are different now,_ he remembered, nodding his head as he half-listened to his mark—a cartel leader in human trafficking—ramble on about things that made Deeks's blood boil. _Kens, I hope you'll forgive me for this. _He forced a smile for the blonde girl currently sitting on his lap and placed his had on the small of her back, but his heart wasn't in it.

_**"You alright, Deeks?" **_Callen's voice came over the slight static in his coms. Deeks covertly glanced over at Callen, who was sitting alone at the bar, pretending to drink. He knew Sam was at the entrance, posing as a bouncer. He gave Callen a discrete nod and turned back to the conversation at hand.

_Shake it off,_ he commanded himself. _Max isn't sentimental. Doesn't matter how much you miss her. Gotta finish this op. _

"So," Enrique said, wrapping up some spiel Deeks hadn't really been paying attention to, "I suppose it's about time to talk business."

Deeks flashed his best rouge grin, channeling Max with a deadly focus.

"Suppose so," he said, feeling Max take over. "Here?"

Enrique's mouth twitched. "This is my _palace_," he said, gesturing around at the high-class club. "No safer place."

Deeks nodded, suppressing the urge to make a cheeky comeback about the ex-CIA agent/federal agent at the bar, the ex-Navy SEAL/federal agent at the door, and the fact that he himself was an LAPD detective/NCIS liaison.

Suddenly, he felt the blonde's lips on his neck. She hit a spot that was usually sensitive, but he felt nothing.

_Thank God Kens isn't here to see this,_ he thought. While he absolutely hated being apart from Kensi, he knew—for the moment, at least—it was for the best. His partner was known for her rather violent jealous streak.

He hated it, but at the moment, he was the best hope for those girls, children, babies. He narrowed his eyes and prepared himself to talk about unspeakable business.

* * *

**Kensi's POV**

It had been a long three months—an _excruciatingly_ long three months. But finally, after what felt like an eternity, she was _home_. Or, at least, she was part way there.

It was after ten o'clock, but Granger had told her that her team had a case and would most likely be up in OPS. She couldn't wait to see them all, but there was one person she longed for above all the others.

The doors to OPS opened as she walked in, and she took in the scene before her. Nell stood at the table, back toward her, staring up at something on the screen. Eric sat at a computer, nodding to himself and checking blue prints.

"I'm working on it, Hetty," Eric said when he heard the doors slide open, "But I can't materialize a backdoor out of thin air if it simply isn't there. I mean, I'm good, but I'm not—"

"KENSI!" Nell exclaimed, finally noticing her. The small woman stepped over toward her and enveloped her in a hug. She pulled back and smiled up at Kensi. "When'd you get back?"

Kensi smiled, but she couldn't help looking around OPS disappointedly.

"About an hour ago," she said distractedly. "Where's De—where're the guys?"

Nell's smile fell slightly, but Eric continued to type on, oblivious.

"Hey Kensi!" he called over his shoulder, still working furiously.

"Hey Eric." Kensi managed a smile, but it lacked much excitement. "Where're the guys?" she repeated.

"They're running an op," Nell said, gesturing to the screen. "Eric, put up the footage." Kensi's attention went to the big screen immediately. Eric looked hesitant, but he put the footage up so they could all see.

An image of Deeks appeared on the screen. He had a blonde woman on his lap, and she was currently kissing her way up and down his neck as Deeks spoke with a hispanic man.

Kensi felt white-hot rage cloud her vision momentarily.

_What the hell is he thinking? _

Then she noticed his eyes. He wasn't Deeks.

"Max," she whispered to herself. Neither Nell or Eric heard her. There was no trace of longing in her voice—this wasn't her Max, after all—and she pushed her jealousy aside for the moment.

_Deeks hates Max,_ Kensi reasoned. _So this _must_ be important. It has to be. _

"Read me in," Kensi gritted out. "_Now_."

"Enrique Cortez is the head of the Cortez Cartel," Nell said, looking slightly hesitant. "They're major players in human trafficking. Particularly of children."

And there it was. Kensi closed her eyes and pounded her fist lightly on the table. Human trafficking; something that none of them could stand.

_It's not fair,_ Kensi thought to herself. _These cases are so hard for him, and I'm not there to have his back… be in his ear… be the one on his lap… _

While she knew exactly who to blame for that—a tiny, frightening woman who was suspiciously absent from OPS—she pushed that aside for the moment and turned her attention to the screen in front of her.

"I'll need to verify the… _quality_ of the merchandise," Deeks said. Kensi could tell from the tone in his voice that Max was entirely in control. She nodded, knowing that that was good. It would get him through this op and out alive.

Enrique nodded and stood. Deeks stood to follow him. To Kensi's immense relief, he peeled the blonde off him.

"Max!" she protested, reaching for him. For a second, Kensi saw Deeks's genuine repulsion, but he did a good job of covering it up.

"I'm sorry Tiffany," he started, but she cut him off.

"It's _Lisa_! Not Tiffany!"

"Right, _Lisa_," he said with a smirk, like it was unimportant either way. Kensi felt a small smirk cross her face as well. "I've got business to do. You wait here, and maybe I'll see you later." He gave her a suggestive wink that left _Lisa-not-Tiffany_ giggling and Kensi scowling murderously, plotting the unfortunate blonde's slow, painful death. Deeks followed Enrique down some stairs.

Eric switched cameras, and about fifteen seconds later, Deeks and Enrique appeared in a basement. Kensi watched as the whole thing played out in front of her. Deeks confirmed the location of all the girls, babies, and young children currently in the possession of the Cortez Cartel, gained knowledge of Enrique's associates, and finally gave the signal word. Sam and Callen burst in through the upper stairwell, followed by a large number of LAPD SWAT.

All-in-all, about thirty cartel members were arrested and booked. Kensi let out a sigh of relief, but continued to follow her partner on the security cameras and listen to his audio. It didn't matter if everything seemed fine. She was still his partner, and she'd always be watching his back.

_Besides,_ she thought with a smile, _he does look really nice in Hetty's suit. Very nice…_

* * *

**Deeks's POV**

As the last man was arrested, Deeks couldn't help his sigh of relief from escaping. It had been a tough one, that was for sure. Human trafficking of children, being Max… and to top it off, he couldn't go home to beer, ice cream, and bad reality TV with Kensi. The pounding music of the club wasn't helping his pounding headache any, either.

All he wanted right now was to go home, eat a burger, and stare at his SAT phone, willing it to ring—and not necessarily in that order. He was halfway across the floor, past the bar, and almost out the door when he was stopped by octopus-like arms.

"Hey Max," Lisa not Tiffany spoke softly in his ear. He turned around, trying to extract himself gently from her arms, but she wouldn't let go. "Wanna get out of here?"

That was the final straw. Deeks took her arms firmly and removed them from his body. Unfortunately, this meant that he had to hold her hands firmly in his. She didn't look as offended as Deeks thought she should.

"Listen Lisa," he said. Now that Max Gentry was gone, Deeks couldn't bring himself to be cruel. "I'm not Max, and I'm _not_ leaving here with you."

Deeks released her hands and moved to turn away, but she reached out again, pulling him back toward her.

* * *

**Kensi's POV**

Kensi's blatant admiration of her partner/boyfriend lasted all of ten seconds before her partner was assaulted by the same blonde bimbo from earlier. She heard Deeks tell this Lisa woman that he wasn't leaving with her, but it hardly registered in Kensi's exhausted, enraged mind.

_She will die,_ Kensi decided, glaring at the woman. _Slowly… painfully… awfully…_

"_C'mon_, Maxy, or whoever you are…" she leaned in to whisper in his ear. "I'm the best you'll ever have."

At that, Kensi felt another wave of anger. She opened her mouth to demand that Eric and Nell tell her where the hell the bar was. Her partner was clearly in need of her specific kind of backup. The kind that could only be provided by a girlfriend.

For just a moment, a tendril of doubt crept into Kensi's mind.

_But are we still together? _she couldn't help but wonder. _He never actually said he'd wait for me, and I did just leave, and it's not like I could honestly expect him to wait for me… I mean, for all he knows I was running away from our thing… oh my god, what if that's what he thinks? And he probably found another girl, or he'll take this Lisa idiot home, and we won't be able to be partners, and he'll leave, and, and, and…_

"Okay, no." Deeks's voice cut into Kensi's scrambled thoughts. "Look, I already have someone in my life—my own personal Wonder Woman. She's amazing. She can hot wire a car and take down a man twice her size. She has the biggest heart of anyone I know." He looked Lisa directly in the eyes. "I love her."

At Deeks's words, Kensi felt the world spin around her. She gripped onto the table to keep herself upright. In the back of her mind, she heard Nell's sigh and Eric's gasp, but mostly she just kept hearing his words over and over and over.

_"I love her."_

_He loves me,_ she realized in awe. A smile spread across her face. _I never should have doubted him. _

She waited for the icy fear to grip her heart. She waited for the urge to run away. It never came. In its place, she felt the desire to run to wherever he was and tell him she loved him too. It was surprisingly unsurprising, like the truth had been there all along. The difference, now, was that it was safe to acknowledge it.

She watched her partner stride quickly away from Lisa—who didn't follow him—and exit the club. While she hated the lack of him on the screen, she couldn't get the smile off her face. She listened to the steady sound of his soft breathing as his words replayed over and over in her mind.

_"I love her."_

Besides, it meant that he was coming back.

_To me,_ she thought with a smile. _He's coming back to me. _

* * *

**Deeks's POV**

Deeks strode out the door, grateful to leave the clingy, desperate woman behind him. He hated that he'd had to lead her on, even for a good cause, but he would not betray Kensi.

_"I love her."_

He hadn't meant for those to slip out, but at least they'd been to a stranger. If Kensi found out, she'd probably run for the hills. Deeks rubbed his jaw as he crossed the street. He could almost feel the punch she'd given him the last time he'd let his emotions get out of hand. He walked up to Sam and Callen, shaking his head. It wouldn't do him any good to dwell on those memories.

"Everything all wrapped up out here?" he asked the senior partners. They were both looking at him strangely. "What?" he asked, confused at their looks. Both men were silent for a long minute.

"You do realize that you still have your coms unit on, right Deeks?" Sam asked, finally breaking the tense silence. His words confused Deeks even more.

"Yeah," he said, tilting his head to the side. "Why…?" he trailed off as realization dawned, and he felt his face redden. _They must have heard the whole Lisa conversation… _"Oh."

Both Callen and Sam chuckled.

"Yeah," Sam said. "Oh."

_Oh crap, what if they tell Kensi?!_

"Look, guys, I was just—I mean, I meant what I said, but can we just… keep this to ourselves?" Both men looked confused at his suggestion, so Deeks continued, "I mean, now's not really the time for me to tell… her… what I said, and she'll probably punch me again. Or run. And I'm really trying to avoid both of those scenarios, okay?"

As he ended his long-winded rant, Deeks finally looked up at the two older men. Callen had on his usual, unreadable expression, but Sam was nodding in understanding.

"We won't say anything, Deeks," Sam said. "Now c'mon. Let's get out of here."

Deeks sighed in relief, happy to climb into the cramped back seat of the Challenger alone.

_I'll tell her someday,_ he told himself. _But I promised to be patient—that we could walk across the ice together. I suppose, telling her now would be considered running. I'm not going to risk losing her. When she gets back, we'll have all the time in the world. _

* * *

**Kensi's POV**

She'd lost visual of her partner, but she could still see his button cam, and she could still hear his voice. She avoided Nell's and Eric's probing looks.

"Everything all wrapped up out here?" Deeks's voice filled the OPS center. Sam and Callen appeared on the screen, both giving her partner knowing looks. Kensi felt her face flush as she realized that the senior partners had also heard Deeks's words. "What?" he asked after a long silence.

"You do realize that you still have your coms unit on, right Deeks?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Deeks said, sounding confused. "Why…?" he trailed off and Kensi could tell that he understood. She waited for him to start denying it, but that never came."Oh," he said simply. That one syllable conveyed so much significance.

Both Callen and Sam chuckled.

"Yeah," Sam said. "Oh."

"Look, guys, I was just—I mean, I meant what I said, but can we just… keep this to ourselves? I mean, now's not really the time for me to tell… her… what I said, and she'll probably punch me again. Or run. And I'm really trying to avoid both of those scenarios, okay?"

Kensi's heart broke as her partner rambled in front of the team.

_That's really what he thinks,_ she realized.

"We won't say anything, Deeks," Sam said, nodding his head in understanding. "Now c'mon. Let's get out of here."

After that, no further words were spoken from the three team members. They loaded up into Sam's Challenger and left the crime scene.

"Kensi…?" Nell's voice cut through the strange trance she'd sort of fallen into. "They'll be back in about five minutes…"

_"_Tell Deeks to go to wardrobe," Kensi said, working out a plan in her mind. "Send him there ASAP. Tell him Hetty demanded it, whatever, just… make sure he goes alone."

"Of course," Nell said, nodding.

Kensi smiled gratefully at her, then spun on her heel and headed down to wardrobe. It was late, dark, and completely empty.

_Perfect,_ Kensi thought as slipped into the shadows to wait for her partner. _This is the perfect spot to tell him..._

* * *

**_This one will have part two, I promise, it was just getting sooooo long, and I needed to post it! Hope you like it :) Please Review!_**


	5. Jealousy Part 2

_**AN: Here's part two, lovely readers! Thank you so much for all the positive reviews :) I'm sorry it took so long! Writer's block… and, well, we all know what Hetty would say about that ;) Anyway, enjoy and leave me a review! **_

_**Blessings,**_

_**bookdiva**_

* * *

**Deeks's POV**

"Deeks!" Nell's excited voice greeted him as he walked into OPS.

_Great,_ Deeks thought to himself, forcing out a tired smile for the pixie-like redhead. _She heard me too. Damn it, stupid coms… _

After all, he'd been wearing his coms and camera the first time he'd kissed her. And that hadn't exactly gone well…

The only moment that had actually worked out for him had been their non-date, and of course the night that followed, and he sure as hell hadn't been wearing coms for that.

Nell didn't seem to pick up on his mood, or if she did, she didn't say anything. She grinned at him.

"Great job, guys," she said. "Sam, Callen, you have to stay here. Hetty needs to debrief you."

"What about me?" Deeks asked, confused.

"You," Nell said, grinning largely, "are under strict orders to report down to wardrobe immediately. When you're done there, you're not allowed back at work until Monday."

"Wha—what?" Deeks choked out, surprised. "_Monday_? What did I do wrong? What the hell am I supposed to do with myself for three whole days?"

Sam and Callen snickered, but he ignored them. He shot Nell a pleading look that he hoped conveyed something along the lines of 'don't make me stay away'.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something to do," Nell said with a sly grin. Eric chuckled, and Deeks just looked at them, even more confused.

"Now, get to wardrobe!" Nell said, shooing Deeks out the door before anyone could protest. "Someone's waiting to get you out of that suit."

With a final push by Nell, Deeks stumbled out of OPS and toward the stairs. The sliding doors whipped shut. For a short moment, Deeks stared at them, dumbfounded, but then he shrugged and walked toward wardrobe.

"Three whole days…" he muttered to himself. "What am I supposed to do for three days…?"

Hetty was most likely waiting to make sure he hadn't damaged her precious suit. He just rolled his eyes and tried to think about what to do with this unexpected vacation he'd been given.

"I'll just call in to headquarters," he decided aloud as he entered wardrobe. He slipped out of his jacket and continued talking to himself. "Maybe Bates will have some case I can work… or there's always traffic duty." He snorted. "_That_ would be fun…."

"You'd rather spend your days off working than with me?" a familiar voice asked from the shadows behind him.

Deeks spun around to face the voice, hardly able to believe his ears.

"Kensi!?"

* * *

**Kensi's POV**

Fifteen minutes after she'd arrived in wardrobe, she heard footsteps. She immediately slipped into the shadows of the dark room, waiting to see if it was him.

She heard him before she saw him. He was mumbling to himself, obviously debating something in his mind. When he came into view, she froze.

His shoulders were slightly slumped, and she could tell, even in the darkness of the room, that his expression was slightly defeated.

_He looks so sad,_ she thought. She wanted to pull him into a hug, tell him that the world was a better place now, because of what he'd done. She wanted to hold him and tell him she loved him.

Before she could move forward to act on any of these thoughts, however, he spoke clearly aloud.

"I'll just call in to headquarters," he said as he walked through the door. Kensi watched him slip his jacket off his shoulders, and she couldn't help but smile. "Maybe Bates will have some case I can work… or there's always traffic duty." He snorted. "_That_ would be fun…."

Her smile widened. His words confirmed everything she so desperately needed to hear. He didn't have any wild plans. Most likely, just like her, he'd simply thrown himself into work. That thought made her smile stretch to an almost painful size.

_He really waited for me. _

"You'd rather spend your days off working than with me?" she teased him, stepping out of the shadows. His expression as he jumped and spun around to face her was absolutely priceless.

"Kensi!?"

She giggled at his incredulous tone. Suddenly she couldn't take it any longer—she couldn't stand the distance. She crossed the room in four long strides and practically flung herself into his arms.

Before that day, Kensi Marie Blye had never _flung_ herself anywhere. She'd always moved with precision and grace. But in that moment, precision and grace flew out the window in favor of desperation and passion.

He caught her instinctively, as if it was something he did everyday. As he pulled her close, she held on tight and breathed him in.

* * *

**Deeks's POV**

His vision was almost completely impaired by her silky brown waves, but he couldn't care less. He breathed in sunshine and gunpowder at he held her close. Everything he had imagined he'd say when he saw her again was suddenly unimportant. He held onto her as if she could be ripped away from him at any second. And, for all he knew, she could.

After an what seemed like an infinity, they each reluctantly pulled back far enough to look into each other's eyes.

"Are—are you really here?" he asked, hating the way his voice wavered slightly. She just smiled as a single tear slipped down her cheek.

"I'm here, Deeks. I'm home."

He reached on hand up hesitantly to brush the tear from her cheek, and she closed her eyes and leaned into his hand. A moment later, she opened her eyes and their gazes locked. Seconds later, their lips collided. Deeks honestly wasn't sure who moved first, and he didn't really care. Kensi was in his arms, safe and open. It was more than he'd dared to hope for.

Eventually, the need to breathe demanded that they separate. Deeks rested his forehead against hers and desperately searched for something safe to say.

"I missed you, Fern," he said softly. She smiled.

"I missed you too, Max," she said just as softly. He flinched at the name. It brought back flashbacks of earlier.

Before he could form a reply, her lips attacked that sensitive spot on his neck, and he lost the ability to speak all together. A strangled sound between a gasp and a moan escaped his lips, and he felt Kensi's laugh into his neck.

"I take it I'm better than Lisa?" she whispered.

"D-d-definitely," he said breathlessly. Then he suddenly registered what she'd said and pulled back. "Wait, what?!"

"Mmhmmm…" she mumbled, kissing him again. He stayed frozen is shock.

"How—"

"You were wearing your coms, Deeks," she said with a smile. Deeks couldn't understand why she was smiling so serenely at him.

_How much did she hear? Why isn't she backing away?_

He tried his damnedest to swallow around the lump that was suddenly rendering him speechless. He took a step back, but she moved with him. Her action prompted him to try to iterate his scrambled thoughts.

"So you, uh…" _C'mon, Deeks! _"What did you, um…" he tried again. _You can do this! Just ask her! _"When did you, er—" Suddenly Kensi's lips cut him off. He was so surprised that he stopped rambling and simply stood there. Frozen. Unsure of anything.

* * *

**Kensi's POV**

"You were wearing your coms, Deeks," she said, smiling up at him. "I was up in OPS with Eric and Nell."

He swallowed hard and tried to step away from her. She stepped with him, not allowing more than an inch to come between them.

"So you, uh… What did you, um… When did you, er—" he stumbled over the words, and Kensi smiled. She leaned in and kissed him, effectively shutting him up. When he didn't fully respond, she pulled back and looked deep into his ocean-blue eyes. She read all the emotions dancing there—surprise, joy, anxiety, fear, exhaustion.

"So I'm your Wonder Woman, huh?" she asked. He immediately looked away shyly.

"Well, I mean… what I meant by that was… see, what I was trying to say…."

"Deeks?" Kensi cut in.

"Hmm, yeah?" he replied, still not looking at her. She took his face in her hands and gently forced his gaze up to hers.

"I love you, too."

His eyes widened, and for a moment, Kensi thought that maybe he would run. Then, with a whoop of joy, he scooped her up in his arms and twirled her around.

* * *

**Deeks's POV**

"Deeks?" Kensi's slightly raised voice startled him out of his stammered explanation.

"Hmm, yeah?" he managed. He could feel his heart almost beating out of his chest. Kensi's hands gently pulled his face up to look into her eyes.

"I love you too."

No words could fully describe the feeling that washed through him at that moment, so for a long while, he just basked in it. Then he couldn't contain it any longer. He let out a whoop of joy and grabbed her into his arms, swinging her around.

He set her back on the ground and pulled back slightly to look into her shining, mismatched chocolate eyes.

"You do?" he asked, the wonder evident in his tone. She threw her head back and laughed.

_God, how I've missed that sound. _

"I do, Deeks. I love you," she repeated it again. Then her brow furrowed. "I mean, do you love me? Or were you just… just saying that to get rid of _Lisa_?"

"What?!" Deeks exclaimed. "No! I mean…" he trailed off and took a deep breath.

_This is it, _he told himself. _You can do this. _

"Kensi," he said, taking both her hands in his. She just looked up at him anxiously. "I've missed you so much. I've been so miserable being apart from you. And I just… I love you so much, I can't even put it into words."

Her face lit up in a smile and her eyes shone with unshed tears.

"I love you, too," she whispered. He pulled her in for another kiss.

* * *

**Kensi's POV**

When he finally pulled back, his eyes were teasing.

"So," he began, "Nell promised me there was someone waiting down here to get me out of this suit."

She knew he meant to throw her off balance with that, but she just embraced his teasing and smirked at him. She ran her hands up his chest and teased the first few buttons of his shirt. He looked down at her, but she continued to ghost her fingers along the now slightly exposed skin of his chest.

"Well, Detective…" she said suggestively, "I hear you have a few days off now…. If you're feeling daring, why don't you take me home and find out?"

She laughed as his eyes widened. She grabbed his hand and walked backwards out of OPS. Deeks grinned at her and followed her out into the night.


	6. Hey Baby Part 1

_**AN: This just hit me, and I wrote it in less than an hour, so it's a little rough… But I just had to post it! This will, again, be a two-parter. Keep an open mind, and message me/review if you have ideas for part 2 (in Deeks's POV)… Read, review, and enjoy!**_

_**Blessings,**_

_**bookdiva**_

* * *

"So I was thinking…" Sabatino said, coming to sit beside her. Kensi looked up from absentmindedly playing with her MRE to see the CIA agent sliding in too close for comfort.

In the two and a half months that Kensi had been stationed in Afghanistan, Sabatino had been an annoying familiar face. And sadly—since he was slightly preferable to Granger, and the rest of the team was super closed-off—he was the closest thing to a friend that she had here.

Today, however, Kensi was feeling slightly nauseous. Her back ached, and her stomach felt like it was going to come out her throat. She most definitely didn't feel like subtly avoiding his blatant advances.

"…you know," he continued when she didn't respond. "If we make it back to the states—"

"_When_ we make it back," Kensi corrected, shooting him a fierce glare.

_I will come back, Max_, she vowed again silently. She really couldn't consider any other option. She'd do her job, she'd return, and they'd…

_What? You'll _what_, exactly? Pick up where you left off? Where exactly _was_ that, again?_

She shook her head and turned her glare down to the slop that passed for food at the base.

"Okaaaaay, right," he pressed on, leaning away from her only slightly. "Well _when_ we get back to the states—to Los Angeles—we'll have to go get that drink."

_Okay, that's it! Can't this guy take a hint?_

"No thank you," she said through clenched teeth. It was taking every last ounce of her energy not to explode at the man.

"C'mon Kensi," he said, leaning his back against the table and catching her gaze. "It could be fun."

"_Fun?_" she repeated incredulously. She'd officially reached the end of her rope. "No, it would not be _fun_. Since you obviously cannot take a hint, I'll give it to you straight. I. Am. _Not_. Interested. Got it?"

"Okay, geeze," he said, standing up and backing away. He held his hands up in surrender. "I didn't realize I'd be risking my life, asking you out. That time of the month, or something?"

He clearly expected more of the homicidal rage she'd been displaying thus far, but his words made Kensi freeze.

_Time of the month… _she was staggered in realization. _I've… I've been here for over two months, and I haven't… Oh god… _

She felt all the blood drain from her face as the realization dawned and icy fear flowed immediately into her veins and throughout her body.

"Kensi, are you okay?" Sabatino's genuinely worried voice snapped her out of her shock.

Kensi looked up at him and, pulling on every bit of undercover training she'd ever received, she managed a curt, "I'm fine. Excuse me."

She somehow managed to walk at a semi-normal pace to her bunk where she carefully shut the door, climbed in her bed, and proceeded to freak out.

_This cannot be possible,_ she argued with herself. _It was only once! And before that it was…._

And that was where she stopped, because it had been months before he'd kissed her—before he'd been tortured—since she'd even been out on a date.

And then she realized that there was no way she was wrong. She'd missed two 'times of the month', and she was well on her way to missing a third—possibly already had, too. That had never happened to her before.

Before she consciously knew what she was doing, she'd pulled the SAT phone out and opened it. Her finger was hovering over the button to call Deeks before common sense overrode her wild emotions. She snapped the phone closed and squeezed her eyes shut.

She needed to process this rationally.

_Okay, Kens,_ she told herself. _One thing at a time. Am I… keeping him?_

She placed a hand over her still-flat stomach and smiled. She'd answered her own question in the question. Sure, she had no way of knowing, but when she closed her eyes, she could see her little boy: wild blonde hair and eyes as blue as his fathers, but mismatched like hers.

The image began to chase away the icy fear, and in its stead, she felt a warm feeling begin to spread throughout her body, starting underneath the hand that still rested on her abdomen. She felt an intense wave of love flood over her—like nothing she'd ever experienced before—and she knew she'd do whatever it took to protect this new life.

_What will Deeks say?_

The thought brought back some of the cold fear.

Unbidden, Kensi was assaulted by images—memories—and she let herself drown in them.

She saw him bouncing on the trampoline with a little girl from one of their cases.

_"I haven't heard her laugh like that in so long." _

_"Yeah, he has that effect on people."_

Then she pictured him in that ridiculous tennis outfit, dodging balls that the little boy from another case, Sean, was sending his way.

_"I wish his father would do things like that with him."_

Finally, she saw the conversation between Deeks and Ray that she wasn't supposed to witness.

_"I have a chance to be a dad. You know what that means to me."_

_"I do." _

She could still hear the conviction—and the longing—in his voice. It was exactly what she needed to chase away any residual fears.

She pulled out her phone and powered it up. Since she was convinced she'd be leaving soon, she was no longer as concerned about conserving the battery. She pulled up the picture of the team in the gym and again zoomed in on her and Deeks.

She focused on the way his eyes sparkled, and she smiled. Resting her hand over her abdomen, she turned out the lights and looked at her phone.

"Goodnight, Deeks," she whispered, closing her eyes. "Good night, baby Deeks."

* * *

Kensi awoke five hours later to a near-silent alarm. For a moment, she stayed completely still, letting her realization from the night before come back to her. In the morning light, the realization was slightly more terrifying. Again, the cold fear played around the edges of her mind. But then she realized that he hand was still protectively over her stomach, and she smiled.

Her dreams had been filled with images of blue eyes—both Deeks's eyes, and their baby boy's. The thought instantly caused her heart rate to even out and the fear to leave her mind.

She took out the SAT phone and dialed.

"I wasn't expecting to hear from you again so soon, Ms. Blye," Hetty answered. Kensi opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out.

"Ms. Blye?" Hetty repeated after a long moment.

"Yeah, I'm… I'm here Hetty," Kensi managed. She took a deep breath. "Do you remember what you said to me before you went to Romania?"

Hetty was silent for a long moment, and Kensi could tell that she'd taken her boss by surprise.

"You said that the true challenge in our lives is to know when to stop," Kensi said when Hetty stayed silent.

"I'm assuming, since you called me on an emergency secured line, that you have more on your mind than a trip down memory lane, Ms. Blye?" Hetty asked after another silent moment.

"Yeah, Hetty," Kensi said, steeling herself. "It's time for me to stop."

* * *

Fourteen hours later, Kensi was on a military plane, flying over some ocean. She had a two-hour layover in London, then a direct commercial flight to LAX. She smiled, and as was becoming completely normal to her, placed a hand across her abdomen.

"We're almost home, baby Deeks," she whispered to herself. Out the window, the city lights became visible. "Soon."

She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

Hetty had taken the news much better than she'd anticipated. In fact, unless she was going crazy—and Kensi had to acknowledge that, given the circumstances, it was a realistic possibility—it had sounded like Hetty was… _overjoyed_.

Kensi smiled at that thought and felt herself slip into a light sleep.

She awoke as the wheels touched the runway, and she stretched her legs out in front of her. When they'd taxied to the parking place, the plane's hatched opened and she disembarked. She couldn't wait to get inside.

Once inside the London International Airport, she quickly found her terminal. Looking at her watch, she realized that she had just a little under two hours before her flight departed, so she dropped her things off at the front desk—being a Federal Agent did have its perks—and headed off to the nearest drug store.

She didn't have any doubts that she was pregnant, but when she told Deeks, she wanted to have something physical to show him.

It took her a half hour to find a shop that carried pregnancy tests, and since they only had one brand, the decision was easy. She paid the cashier—who gave her a funny look—in cash, and headed to the nearest bathroom.

She went into the handicap stall in the corner of the—mercifully—empty ladies room, peed on the stick, and then sat in the opposite corner to wait the required ten minutes.

As she waited, she couldn't help but think of Deeks.

_I wonder what he's up to right now…_ she thought. It was early morning in LA. _Probably hitting the waves before work._

She smiled as she imagined him teaching their son to surf. She could see the way he'd patiently explain it, over and over, while still making it fun.

_He will be a great dad. _

She had absolutely no doubts about him. He'd built his life around being everything that his own father hadn't been. While she wasn't so confident in her own ability to be a mother, she did recognize that she already loved her son. And besides, with her partner to help her, she could do anything.

Her phone blared techno, signaling time to look at the test. It was silly—she knew the truth—but somehow, standing up and grabbing that test would make it all real.

She sat on the floor and listened to the whole song—all six minutes of it—before she slid the alarm off, got up, and peered at the plastic stick that would confirm the biggest news of her life.

Her breath caught in her throat at the (+) on the digital screen. A tear slipped unnoticed down her cheek as she hugged that little plastic stick close to her body.

She stood up and exited the ladies room feeling a renewed sense of determination. She swung into another little shop and asked the young boy behind the counter for a box. He'd looked at her strangely, then directed her to a small aisle of gift wrapping.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I just want a small box, plain. Like you ship things in."

Again, the boy looked at her like she was nuts, but he went into the back and came back out with exactly what she was looking for.

"Perfect!" she exclaimed. She tried to pay for it, but the boy waved her off. She left for her terminal with fifteen minutes to spare. She used the time to tape her package shut.

* * *

The plane landed at LAX at 0300 hours on January 8, 2014. Three hours into Deeks's 35th birthday.

_Perfect. _

Being a Federal Agent, she didn't bother with customs or security. Hetty had arranged all of that ahead of time. She simply grabbed her backpack and her box and headed to the taxi cab.

Forty-five minutes later she was standing outside her partner's door, trying to decide what to do. She raised her fist to knock, but decided to pull her SAT phone out instead. Touching the button, she connected to her partner's SAT phone and leaned against the door. She heard a sudden, shrill beeping coming from inside the apartment, and she couldn't help but smile.

_He turned the volume all the way up so he wouldn't miss my call,_ she realized. There was a slight thump from the other side of the door, and them Deeks's sleep-laden voice came over the static of the SAT phone.

"Kens? Is everything okay? Are you okay?" His voice was scratchy and deep from sleep, but he sounded fully attentive to whatever her answer was. Instead of just a verbal reply, she knocked.

"Everything is good, Deeks," she answered his concerned question. "I just need my partner to let me in."

"What?" Deeks asked, sounding really confused. "This again, Kens? I thought you understood. I did say what I meant, and I don't really know what else you—"

"No, Deeks," she interrupted him, chuckling softly. "I literally need you to let me in, or I'll kick down your door."

"You—what—I—huh?"

There were more shuffling noises, a quiet band, and then the door swung open. Suddenly her partner was standing in front of her, his wild blond curls even wilder than usual and his ocean-blue eyes sparkling with joy, surprise, disbelief…

Neither one spoke a word. He reached out his hand slowly, his eyes full of disbelief until his hand reached her cheek. Then his eyes flashed like a blue fire, and before she knew what was happening, she was in his arms, kissing him like her life depended on it.

"Happy birthday, Deeks," she whispered when they finally pulled apart.

He smiled and nuzzled her nose.

"So you remembered this year Fern?" he teased her, pulling her even closer, the box awkwardly squished between them. His eyes left hers for a brief second, then snapped back up. "What's this? Another box?"

"I finally realized, Deeks," she said breathlessly. "I didn't get it right the first time. And I'm sorry. But I swear, I got it right this time, Deeks. This is everything you've ever wanted. I got it _right_ this time."

* * *

**_TBC… :)_**


	7. Author's Note

_**AN: Hey guys! I was absolutely blown away by the response that last chapter had! Your reviews inspired me, and I'm now posting Hey Baby as it's own story! Check it out! **_

_**And please send more ideas for Home At Last! **_

_**Blessings,**_

_**bookdiva**_


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